Author Topic: Calcium Chloride - Making Aqueos Solution  (Read 10847 times)

Scarlet Runner

  • Guest
Calcium Chloride - Making Aqueos Solution
« on: March 25, 2011, 02:01:13 PM »
Calling all those CaCl2 lifers who have bought a pound of dry CaCl2 to make their own solutions...
Mine won't dissolve completely; the large granules dissolved quickly and created heat, but what remains is a light swirling film that collects on the bottom of the jar and will not dissolve (after 1 day). When I shake it up, the solution is slightly cloudy.  Ideas?

(I dissolved 90 g CaCl2 in 210 g distilled water, and stirred off and on for a few hours).

Thanks!

linuxboy

  • Guest
Re: Homemade CaCl2 solution won't dissolve completely?
« Reply #1 on: March 25, 2011, 02:07:52 PM »
Boil it, then decant to leave any remaining solids. Likely impurities.

dttorun

  • Guest
Re: Homemade CaCl2 solution won't dissolve completely?
« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2011, 05:38:28 PM »
This is 30% solution. You can dilute it with 300 ml of water to make 15%. You will be diluting anyways prior to adding to the milk.

Scarlet Runner

  • Guest
Re: Homemade CaCl2 solution won't dissolve completely?
« Reply #3 on: March 25, 2011, 11:53:40 PM »
Thanks gang.  Will do. 

I'm happy to report that I'm all stocked up on necessities now- got my CaCl2 ($4 at the brew store) and, as of this afternoon, 50 pounds of Table Salt which says it's food grade and not iodized ($8 at Sam's Club).  Thanks to all the cheeseforum discussions for helping me get set up. On to the main course... making cheese!
 :)

Scarlet Runner

  • Guest
Re: Homemade CaCl2 solution won't dissolve completely?
« Reply #4 on: March 26, 2011, 05:45:31 PM »
Update: I boiled and decanted the 30% solution, leaving maybe 1/4 cup of the cloudy filmy stuff near the bottom.  With that final cloudy bit, I diluted it 1:1 (to yield a 15 % solution) and it never dissolved.  I then diluted it greater than 10 fold and it didn't dissolve (pyrex measuring cup, right).  So I think impurities is right on. And, I have a nice clear 30% solution that ought to last quite a while (green lid jar, left).   :)

dttorun

  • Guest
Re: Homemade CaCl2 solution won't dissolve completely?
« Reply #5 on: March 26, 2011, 07:01:21 PM »
Try to filter the solution through coffee filter or paper towel, impurities will be separated.

iratherfly

  • Guest
Re: Homemade CaCl2 solution won't dissolve completely?
« Reply #6 on: March 26, 2011, 07:31:27 PM »
I know this may not be what you are looking for as an advice, but why aren't you using liquid CalCl2? It is cheap and abundant (A pint bottle will run you $7 at the Dairy Connection and will be enough for 5 years of home cheesemaking).
http://www.dairyconnection.com/commerce/catalog.jsp?catId=8

I also suspect that the dry powder may contain foreign anti-caking agents like silicone dioxide or cellulose gum.

There are so many little variables in cheesemaking and so many things can go wrong; I just avoid dealing with anything that has a good, safe, cheap and full-proof solution such as the CalCl2.  It's one less thing to do, one less thing to worry about, one less thing that can go wrong.  I can see the point if the reason is to revive or learn some traditional artisanal technique, or to use fresher ingredient, but making CalCl2 water out of a dry mineral isn't such.
« Last Edit: March 26, 2011, 07:39:02 PM by iratherfly »

Scarlet Runner

  • Guest
Re: Homemade CaCl2 solution won't dissolve completely?
« Reply #7 on: March 28, 2011, 01:01:57 AM »
dttorun- Good thought. I wondered about filtration; probably a good step to try.

IRF- You raise good points. For me, the point was just economy and the fun of it. Many on the forum have had success creating their own solutions, and I thought it worth a try. Certainly, if the next cheeses turn out poorly, I'll have the cheap option to just buy some new CaCl2. I think it will work just fine, but I'm willing to risk the alternative outcome as well. Your point about minimizing the variables to worry about definitely hits home- I hadn't really thought about CaCl2 that way, but I am optimizing my rennet situation now for exactly this reason.

iratherfly

  • Guest
Re: Homemade CaCl2 solution won't dissolve completely?
« Reply #8 on: March 29, 2011, 06:17:22 AM »
Sounds good. It's just very predictable because the concentration level and dosage is a consistent industry standard that is similar in every bottle and every brand. You also don't have to worry about lumps or calcium that sank to the bottom of your water that wasn't included in your dosage. 

Best, you will never ask yourself "Did this curd work/failed because my CalCl2 was strong/weak? You will just know that your CalCl2 is the same exact thing you had last time and the million times before and you can reproduce the results again if you want (or, if these are bad results you can eliminate the CalCl2 as a suspect cause because you've used the proper industry standard)

The way I see it, that $7 pint bottle is enough to take the CalCl2 guesswork out of 1.5 metric tons of far more expensive milk. Well worth the premium

dmasterman

  • Guest
Re: Homemade CaCl2 solution won't dissolve completely?
« Reply #9 on: March 30, 2011, 12:33:50 AM »
Others covered the essentials, but the cloudiness is certainly a contaminant other than CaCl2. Since you have food grade salt, it shouldn’t hurt you, though. I use reagent, pharmaceutical grade salt and it always dissolves 100% (it was from an old biotech lab).

The same is true for ordinary table salt (NaCl). Kosher salt is purer and dissolves completely, while the ordinary table salt always has a precipitate remaining in solution. If I didn’t have pure stuff, I’d get the solution.

tananaBrian

  • Guest
Re: Homemade CaCl2 solution won't dissolve completely?
« Reply #10 on: March 30, 2011, 04:57:01 PM »
Update: I boiled and decanted the 30% solution, leaving maybe 1/4 cup of the cloudy filmy stuff near the bottom.  With that final cloudy bit, I diluted it 1:1 (to yield a 15 % solution) and it never dissolved.  I then diluted it greater than 10 fold and it didn't dissolve (pyrex measuring cup, right).  So I think impurities is right on. And, I have a nice clear 30% solution that ought to last quite a while (green lid jar, left).   :)

Looks like you had quite a few impurities ...boiling should fix any bio issues, but do you think that your 30% solution is now weaker since you put in less than 90g of actual CaCl into your 210g water?  I suppose you could filter and weigh the impurities and correct your solution, but it can't that critical, right?

Brian

Scarlet Runner

  • Guest
Re: Homemade CaCl2 solution won't dissolve completely?
« Reply #11 on: April 02, 2011, 01:19:19 AM »
Yes, my solution could be weaker- since part of the weight of "CaCl2" solids was impurities. (The filmy solution makes it look like a lot- but when it settles on the bottom, it doesn't look like it would weigh much).  But when I boiled it I might have reduced the water volume by some small amount as well, which would have the opposite effect.  I guess I figured precision wasn't extremely important in this case, since others are making these solutions using home equipment.

Guess I'll find out  :)

dmasterman

  • Guest
Re: Homemade CaCl2 solution won't dissolve completely?
« Reply #12 on: April 02, 2011, 01:55:06 AM »
You could just add a tad more of the salt you have...

tananaBrian

  • Guest
Re: Homemade CaCl2 solution won't dissolve completely?
« Reply #13 on: April 02, 2011, 06:13:37 PM »
Yes, my solution could be weaker- since part of the weight of "CaCl2" solids was impurities. (The filmy solution makes it look like a lot- but when it settles on the bottom, it doesn't look like it would weigh much).  But when I boiled it I might have reduced the water volume by some small amount as well, which would have the opposite effect.  I guess I figured precision wasn't extremely important in this case, since others are making these solutions using home equipment.

Guess I'll find out  :)

...Plus, it's not rocket science when performed at home.  I would think that the calcium needs of the milk itself varies from batch to batch, from one season to the next etc, so that the necessary dose of CaCl2 is at best a close estimate anyway.  No need to split hairs ...just do the best you can and move on.

Brian